Hong Ik-pyo, the Senior Secretary to the President, stated that the recent nomination of Park Hong-geun as the Minister of the Planning and Budget will not have a substantial effect on the ongoing dynamics of the Seoul mayoral race. During an appearance on MBC Radio, Hong addressed concerns from the opposition party, People Power Party, which argued that Park's nomination amounted to interference in the mayoral election. He dismissed these claims as exaggerated and emphasized that Park's existing support ratings were not particularly high for a candidate of his caliber.

Hong elaborated that while there could have been political implications if Park were removed from a list of strong candidates, this was not the case. He indicated that the President’s decision to nominate Park was based on merit and that Park accepted the nomination willingly. Furthermore, Hong assured that there were no attempts from the Blue House to manipulate the political landscape or establish a particular competitive structure for the election, asserting that the nomination process was transparent and voluntary.

In discussing the recent appointment of Lee Byung-tae, an honorary professor from KAIST, to the Regulatory Rationalization Committee, which has sparked controversy due to his past comments regarded as pro-Japanese and derogatory about the Sewol ferry disaster memorial events, Hong acknowledged the necessity for Lee to clarify his past statements. While he characterized Lee’s previous remarks as inappropriate, Hong expressed the hope that Lee could provide an adequate explanation to foster social integration and address public concerns directly related to his past comments.